Denver's ten top coffee shops for work productivity

More and more, professionals are shunning the conventional office setting when they can. In Denver, some of the steady-growing army of self-employed and remote workers are opting for work collectives and non-traditional office options that have become increasingly available, but others still favor good old coffee shops, bee-lining for the first available power source they find and calling it their office for the day.

Here, in no particular order are some of our favorite local coffee shops to be productive.

10) The Desk 230 East 13th Avenue The Desk is as clean and sterile of a work place as you can get: if you decide to sit in the front, you'll be surrounded by the respectful silence of fellow professionals with their eyes glued to laptops. Oriental rugs, bright lighting, and quiet, ambient music ensure you feel no sense of clutter. In fact, The Desk fancies itself as "A Place to Create." Should you buy a membership, you'll have access to an even more tranquil back room, with access to private conference rooms, rented desks, ergonomic chairs and printers.

9) Steam Espresso Bar 1801 South Pearl Street As we attested to in our Patio of the Day feature, Steam is a near-perfect coffee shop, especially when it comes to getting things done. Outfitted with a coffee bar (that pours Boxcar Coffee and serves up Trompeau pastries), community table, secluded back seating area, and a sprawling patio, remote workers have their pick of concentration-inducing work stations. Phone calls can be taken in their idyllic back yard.

8) Denver Bicycle Cafe 1308 East 17th Avenue Denver Bicycle Cafe is something of a camp-out for creative professionals and students. On any given day, the community table will be packed with people meeting, whether it be a lively brainstorming assembly or a serious cram session. And with several brewing methods to choose from, you can get your buzz on with coffee from local roasters, and keep it going with their impressively curated selection of draft and canned beers as the afternoon ebbs on. If you haven't seen the sun in a few hours, retire to the gracious patio for a few minutes of relaxation before getting back to the grind -- and If you commute by bike, your office-for-a-day also serves as a tune-up shop.

7) Rooster & Moon 955 Bannock Street Rooster and Moon is generally packed, but if you're lucky enough to get a seat and a power source, and if you thrive off the distraction of an ever-rotating set of table-seekers, it's the place for you. Flatbread breakfast sandwiches and coffee give way to sandwiches, salads, and beer in the afternoon -- fuel (in whatever form you like it) to get you through the day and friendly service, to boot.